title: Absence of humoral autoimmunity in peripartum cardiomyopathy. A comparative study in Niger.
abstract: The authors report a humoral immunity study in 39 black Nigerian women with peripartum cardiomyopathy. Serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM) assay, evaluation of serum immune complexes (immunonephelemetric method) and of heart muscle autoantibodies (indirect immunofluorescent double layer technique in heart muscle of the rat) were made. Forty breastfeeding black Nigerian women without cardiac disease were the controls. Differences between serum immunoglobulins, circulating immune complexes and heart muscle autoantibodies are not significant. This study demonstrates the absence of a humoral autoimmunity process in peripartum cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine interne, Hôpital national, Niamey, Niger.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cénac
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beaufils
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soumana
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vetter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Devillechabrolle
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moulias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009548:Niger; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies